CREEK CHUB 



A minnow producer, using in- 

 tensive techniques, should be able 

 to harvest from 200 to 300 pounds 

 of salable minnows from each acre 

 of water in production. This 

 poundage converted into numbers 

 of fish would represent from 40,- 

 000 to 70,000 fish. 



When removed from ponds, fat- 

 head minnows should be placed in 

 cool water for hardening before 

 they are sold. The w^ater temper- 

 ature in the storage vats should 

 not be allowed to rise above 70° F. 

 during the summer months, and 

 the fish should not be confined at 

 this temperature for more than a 

 v/eek. If the operator needs to 

 store the fatheads for a longer 

 period, it is desirable to reduce the 

 water temperature to 65° F. Fat- 

 head minnows can tolerate a 20° 

 temperature change within a few 

 minutes without any harmful ef- 

 fects. Also, these fish can stand 



excessive icing during transit in 

 warm weather. 



Grading 



In grading the fathead minnow 

 for sale in Missouri, a box con- 

 structed of %6"ii^ch aluminum bars 

 has proved satisfactory. The 

 mechanical graders are made in 

 two sizes: One, constructed to al- 

 low the small unsalable fatheads 

 to pass through the openings, has 

 a clearance between the aluminum 

 bars of i%4 inch; the other, to 

 separate the larger size from the 

 smallest salable size, has a spacing 

 of i%4 inch between the bars (see 

 fig. 23). In using these graders, 

 two size groups of salable fish are 

 obtained. The first group ranges 

 in length from li/^ to 2 inches and 

 averages about 325 fish to the 

 pound. Fish of the second size 

 group are from 2 to 31^ inches in 

 length and average about 225 to 

 the pound. 



CREEK CHUB Semofi'/us atromaculatus 



Also called Horned Dace. 





LIFE HISTORY hidden just above corners of mouth 



Desenption.—Blsick spot at base in groove behind underjaw; scales 



of dorsal fin ; mouth large, extend- smaller and more crowded at front 



ing back to below eye ; small barbel end of body ; color, olive green on 



85 



